Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/778830
Voices channel 19 10 | Overdrive | February 2017 Visit Senior Editor Todd Dills' CHANNEL 19 BLOG at OverdriveOnline.com/channel19 Write him at tdills@randallreilly.com. As noted in the December cover story, there are two schools of opinion on the ELD exemption for pre- 2000 trucks. The skeptical one comes from those who deal with brokers/shippers every day (that's you). The other comes from prognosticators who believe that once the electronic logging device mandate is in place, a sizable number of shippers, brokers and receivers will demand their freight move on trucks recording hours electroni- cally. This will force owners of pre-2000 trucks into an electronic hours solution beyond just a log book app or laptop program. Count Western States Trucking Association's Joe Rajkovacz among the former camp. "If I had a dime for every time I've heard or read someone saying that 'the supply chain is mandat- ing ELDs,' I could probably retire," he says, noting those who suggest that are often "full-blown proponents of ELDs." I'll concur with Rajkovacz on his next point: "I've not heard a single complaint from any owner-operator or small fleet that they have been coerced into using ELDs by the supply chain." Rajkovacz suggests lia- bility would extend even fur- ther into a shipper's business if said shipper decided to get involved "in the hours of service of the motor carriers with whom they are doing business." While it already happens that "shippers get dragged into a legal mess af- ter a crash, imagine a world where they make this type of demand and then look the other way (which they all will). Good luck!" What's next? Contract-re- quired speed-limiting devices on trucks by shippers? Ra- jkovacz believes shippers and brokers should focus on the things they have control over. "Most of the supply chain still has not come to terms with the impending slow- down in freight movement because of policies like this, and they still think they can detain a truck for unreason- able amounts of time. They are the ones who are going to face a rude awakening" in the form of rate hikes, and reduced timeliness, and "not the other way around." What do you think? Weigh in via the Dec. 15 post on the Channel 19 blog. ELDs inevitable for pre-2000 truck owners? Amazon needs to learn how to load or unload a truck in less than six hours (and that is giving a lot of grace) before they think about an app. When I go to book a load, Amazon is on the top of my 'Do Not Haul' list. Just above Wal-Mart and food warehouses. — Euyeau, commenting under news on the Dec. 19 Channel 19 post about Amazon's reported plans to launch a smartphone app to match loads and trucks. Look it up to join the discussion. New 800-pound 'uberization' gorilla needs some dock help Wal-Mart trying out dual-camera systems A quote from Wal-Mart Transportation driver Gary Mars illustrates perhaps the chief reason why so many fleets are moving toward in-truck cameras that not only cap- ture the scene on the road ahead but also the reactions to that scene by the driver. "If you're in a court of law, and they've got your forward-fac- ing camera," Mars told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, "and there's no doubt you maintained your lane, the next ques- tion out of the lawyer's mouth is going to be, 'What is that driver doing? Why can't we see what that driver's doing?' " Wal-Mart's private fleet has outfitted some drivers with various camera systems to test their use, according to the newspaper. The systems include those triggered to record by road events, as well as the more intrusive continuous-recording variety that are popping up more frequently. The private fleet is looking for volunteers, such as Mars, to adopt the systems, the Gazette reported. Access further details via the Dec. 15 blog post.